Luke 12:49-13:9

Jesus continued to emphasize the need of His followers to live expectantly.

·        12:49-53:  First Jesus explains that the time of delay is necessitated by the baptism with which He must be baptized.  He refers, of course, to the cross, an event which will bring great division to all people (not just Israel; Jesus refers to the earth, v51).  This is what will characterized this time between His Incarnation (first appearing) and His return (second appearing).  Faithful servants of the Master understand that it will be a difficult time.

·        12:54-56: Jesus now turns to the multitudes, rebuking them because they cannot discern the time.  Both Moses and the Prophets predicted that if Israel did not remain faithful to the Lord they would be judged, being dispersed from the land.  The rejection of Jesus as their Messiah is the ultimate unfaithfulness.  They should understand that God’s judgment on them is near.

·        12:57-59: It is in this context that Jesus says these things.  This is a call to repentance when Jesus accuses them of not being able to judge what is right.  The need is to act immediately; the time is late for Israel.  From the point of view of the nation it can be said Jesus is calling them to be at peace with God, which means reconciling themselves to the Romans under whom God had placed them because of their disobedience.

·        13:1-5:  The impending judgment (which would come in 70AD) was also the context of this exchange Jesus had with some from the crowd.  Pilate had brought about the violent death of many Jews and then Jesus adds another incident involving several killed when a tower fell.  The immediate lesson was that those killed were not better or worse than others.  But the more fundamental lesson was that unless the nation repented they would all perish.  Again, this was what Moses had predicted (Deut. 28:58-68).  Moses described the terrible anguish of the Jews from 70AD until this very day.

·        13:6-9: Jesus concludes with a powerful picture, of the fig tree (often a picture of Israel.)  The tree bears no fruit and is destined for destruction.  The one year may refer to the time remaining of Jesus’ earthly ministry (though it might just refer to a short time).  In the end, Israel would reject her Messiah, making certain the judgment that would come about 40 years later.

All of this is a powerful message to Jesus’ followers: we are to be like men who wait for their Master!  Let us hear and heed, being faithful disciples.